Orange-Blueberry Muffins & a New Teapot!

Our recent house guests sent us this lovely white teapot &
two especially large & beautiful mugs
as a "thank you" gift for having them stay here.

I combined the teapot & cups on a bed tray & have used my

berry basket as a substitute sugar/creamer/serving plate.

I made orange-blueberry muffins from blueberries grown on my parent's property
(now my sister's home).

Here is what the blueberry bushes look like right now.

As soon as the berries start to appear,

my sister, with the help of her sons,

cover them with netting to cut down on the

amount of fruit the birds are able to get to.

They still get their fair share!

My sister picks the blueberries just about every day

as they ripen slowly, in small batches.

She freezes them & then doles them out to each of our

siblings & children.

What a treat they are...Thanks, Sis!

I always save my last bag until I know the new ones are coming in.

That way, I'm never without some in the freezer.

This Vanilla Caramel tea by Bigelow is one of my favorite flavors lately.

Have you tried it?

I added sanding sugar to the tops of the muffins

while they were still warm.

I like that extra little crunch & sweetness.

My hyacinths that have been toppled

over in all the rain we've been getting.

I hated to cut them, as they won't last long indoors

but what a wonderful fragrance they bring to a room!

More colored sugar to add to the fun!

I'm on a roll with this added touch of whimsy.

Look how pretty the mugs are, with their deeply carved decoration.

No names to identify the maker...sorry.

The cutwork linen liner is from Ireland.

I ADORE anything lacey & with cutwork details &

this one just grabbed my heart!

The napkins are lace edged hankies that are doing double duty.

More pretty edges on a tea towel to enjoy.

I'm joining Susan at Between Naps on the Porch

for this week's

Tablescape Thursday.

Here is the recipe for the muffins, just in time

for Foodie Friday with Michael Lee at

Designs by Gollum.

I'll be at The Tablescapers, too for her

Seasonal Sundays

EDIT: Alli invited me to also link to her

Sweet Tooth Friday meme on her cute blog

Alli-n-Son

Orange-Blueberry Muffins

Makes 12

• 2 Cups all-purpose flour
• 2/3 Cup sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 1/4 Cups low-fat buttermilk
• 1/4 Cup butter, melted
• 1/2 Cup frozen blueberries (no need to thaw)
• 2 tsp grated orange rind
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten

• 1 tablespoon sugar for topping

Preheat oven to 400°.

Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda & salt in a large bowl; make a well in center of mixture. Combine buttermilk, melted butter, orange rind, vanilla & beaten egg in a bowl then add to flour mixture. Stir just until moist then add blueberries. Mix gently…try to not break the blueberries or you’ll have blue batter!

Spoon into 12 paper muffin cups and sprinkle evenly with 1 tablespoon sugar.

Bake at 400° for 18 minutes or until lightly browned.

Remove muffins from pans; cool on a wire rack. (I added extra sanding sugar AFTER they came out of the oven & cooled a bit)

Thanks for stopping by The Gazebo House.

Now if you'll excuse me, I still have Easter

dishes to put away!!!

fondly,